My Life, My Love
by GigaDager
Summary: WLGVFic This is the beginning of Wally's Pokemon adventure. However, imagine if his adventure isn't quite as planned? What is the Pokemon journey is deconstructed? Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: How Things Work Out**_

"_He… He really is going with this, isn't he?"_

"_It really seems like it."_

"_I just want him to be safe. I can't bear to see him get hurt…"_

"_That's not the truth, is it?"_

"…"

"_You just don't want him to leave…?"_

"…_I don't know what to think anymore…"_

"_I'm sure he can take care of himself. He has the blessing of the world by his side, after all…"_

"_I hope you're right…"_

The sun shone bright in the early morning sky. The sky, a soothing turquoise blue dotted with puffy white clouds, invited the new day cheerfully. Sunlight streamed through the window of the cozy little room where a frail, green-haired boy slept wrapped up in his thick blankets. His eyes were shut lightly, and he breathed calmly through his nose. A piercing ring broke through the sounds of the birds chirping outside, and the boy slowly opened an eye and grunted. Warily lifting his hand up, the boy shut off his alarm clock and glanced sleepily at the time. Almost immediately, his eyes snapped open, and he cried out. The boy jumped to his feet and rushed out of his room.

He threw on his clothes and cleaned himself up in the bathroom, then shot out into the kitchen where his mother was cooking breakfast by the stove.

"Wally! Are you going already?" Wally's mother had a bewildered expression on her face, and she came over, grabbed Wally by the shoulders, and sat his down with a place full of food in front of him. "The least you could do is eat up!"

"Oh, thanks, Mom." Wally timidly smiled at his cheerful mother, and then he relaxed and began to eat. Stopping for a moment, Wally glanced up at his mother, "Wait, does Dad know about this at all?"

As she washed the dishes, Wally's mother tilted her head to the side and spoke over the rushing water, "No, Wally! Your father's still asleep; I'll try to keep his busy as long as I can, so you'd better hurry up! If he catches you leaving, then he'll probably bar you within your own room!"

Wally was sure that his mother was only half-joking, but the other half was indeed true; in fact, his father would probably almost literally kill Wally if he found out about _this._

This was the day where Wally will begin his adventure.

Wally scarfed his food down as quickly as he can, for the fear of his father waking up, thought he wouldn't since he never wakes up until the afternoon on the weekends, and nearly choked and gagged in the process, and Wally stood up slowly and pushed his chair in without making much of a sound at all.

Wally walked over to where his mother was finishing up with the dishes and wrapped his arms around his mother, who soothingly played with Wally's thick hair. "I'll see you soon, Mom. I'll make you proud!"

"You already do, Wally. You could only make me more prouder." Wally's mother whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

Unwilling to see his mother cry, for Wally may hesitate to leave, Wally burst through the front door of his home, calling out one last farewell along the way. Wally was ecstatic. Today was the day Wally is able to start his adventure. In the region he lives in, once you graduate from your high school with higher-than-average grades, then you qualify to go on a Pokemon adventure. Not only are you given your very own Pokedex, if you manage to fill it up well and raise your own Pokemon well, you'll be qualified to enter college for no cost at all. And today was the day Wally received his first Pokemon from the Gym Leader next door to him, who supported this program. Today was the beginning of Wally's adventure!

Wally dashed as quickly as he could to the gym, his shoes slipping along the dirt. Though Wally was weak and thin, he was a born runner, so a long adventure like this was a joy and not a chore for him. He finally reached the gym with an enthusiastic smile on his face and came colliding against the front glass doors of the gym, the sliding doors unable to open fast enough to the energetic Wally. Groaning, Wally stepped back and checked his nose to see if it was injured, then slowly walked through the glass doors. He was welcomed by the bright ceiling lights installed into the roof, inviting Wally in with the intense warmth. Leaning against the wall in the back was Norman, his hands in his pockets and looking bored. Once Wally came in, Norman stood upright and greeted Wally with a grin.

"Had an encounter there with my doors, eh? I guess you must be hyped up about getting your first Pokemon today!" Norman said cheerfully, punching Wally playfully on the arm. Wally rubbed it and laughed casually.

"Well, let's get started. Take this." Norman said, handing Wally a single Pokeball that was shrunk to the portable small size.

Wally grinned, his eyes shining bright with wonder and glee. "Is this my first Pokemon-"

"No, it isn't." Norman interrupted. "Your first Pokemon will be the first one your find in the wild outside the boundaries of the city. The Pokemon in that ball is for you to borrow for the time being to catch that Pokemon."

Wally stared at Norman quizzically. "Huh? You can't just _give _me the Pokemon?"

"I wouldn't want to. If you yourself catch your first Pokemon, then you'll learn how to do something new without having to sit back and just watch, right?" Norman replied nonchalantly. "Besides…" He spoke, clearing his throat and glancing the other way. "I ran out of Pokemon to give, so you'll have to make do with what you catch."

Wally ran a hand through his green hair and sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll go catch one. I won't be gone long."

"Oh, wait! I forgot to give you a few things!" Norman called out, stopping Wally. Wally immediately stopped in his tracks and glanced back at Norman with a confused expression on his face.

Norman reached deep in his pockets, grabbed Wally's hand, and placed six Pokeball in Wally's palm. "These you need to use to catch the Pokemon, of course. It wouldn't be fair if I sent you off with nothing to use." Norman grinned and ruffled Wally's hair. "Be on your way, now. I'll look forward to seeing what you catch."

Wally smiled cheerfully and thanked Norman. Wally ran towards the door, and as the two glass panes retreated, Wally came in contact with the surprised expressions of a boy and a girl. Wally cried out and tried to stop, but he was too late and performed a full-on tackle against the couple. Lying sprawled on the ground among the bodies and limbs, the three teenagers groaned. Norman stood over them with an amused expression crossing his face.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry!" Wally cried out, crawling along the polished floor to fetch up the dropped belongings of the two trainers. The two teenagers exchanged baffled glanced, then helped out in picking up the items. As they crawled about, Wally picked up the two dropped Pokeballs of the trainers and raised his eyebrows. So, these two were beginning their quest, as well! It was easy to tell since they had a few potions and the Pokeballs were brand new.

Wally stood up and handed all of the belonging back to the two new trainers, apologizing for slamming into them again. This time, Wally had time to carefully examine the trainers, and he was surprised.

"Brendan? Is that you?" Wally stared in awe at the male trainer, who stared back with joy sparkling in his eyes.

"Wally! My good buddy! I can't believe we get to see each other again!" Brendan laughed and slapped Wally's shoulder.

Wally and Brendan used to be close childhood friends in Petalburg City. Brendan was forced to move far to Littleroot Town while they were both still in junior high. Since they were still children, they had no communication whatsoever between them, so their friendship snapped off from there. Now they were face-to-face with each other again.

"How've you been, Brendan? Man, it's been a while since we've met!" Wally smiled.

"I know! It's been about five years since we messed around! Don't you remember that joke I played involving you and that girl-"

"I'd prefer not to talk about that."

"Oh, sorry. Ah, I forgot to introduce you two. This here is May, a friend of mine form Littleroot." Brendan spoke, placing his hand lightly on May's shoulder. May smiled softly and waved her hand lightly. Wally nodded back at her. "This, May, is Wally, a long-time friend of mine from this city until I moved."

"So, you're both going on a quest, aren't you two?"

"Lucky guess!"

"Hey, it's pretty obvious! I guess we're going to be competing the whole way, eh?"

"Ah, you're going to get credit, too?"

"Yup! I'm going out to catch my own Pokemon right now!" Wally said eagerly, unable to hold his excitement back any longer.

"Catch…? I thought they just gave the Pokemon to you…" Brendan muttered. May nodded along.

"Oh…uh…well…yeah…" Wally said, nodding his head towards Norman. The gym leader averted his eyes skyward.

May spoke up for the first time during the conversation, "Hey, mind if we come along? We could teach you the basics; besides, I want to see what you catch, too!"

"Sure! That'd be great, guys." Wally said.

"Well, let's go, then! About time we leave!" Brendan clenched his fist in front of his chest.

The area west of Petalburg was beautiful. The tides were fresh and glistened blue from the sun sparkling off of them. The water flowed and moved ever so gracefully with the faint sounds of roaring tides echoing far out in the distance. The waves touched along with the deep blue sky, as if blending in and making it all the more grander. The long strings of pale clouds continued to float through the sky, and the pure white sand that stretched out along the beach were silky soft to the touch. Up on higher ground, the elevated level provided for some great view across the beach. The road was paved with large stones with smooth sides, the grass growing along the pathway as green as it could be. Tall trees stretch heavenwards with the wind blowing through the thin, delicate leaves. The canopy of leaves shaded over the large amounts of tall grass below, where many wild Pokemon rustled endlessly through.

Wally entered the area first and shielded his eyes from the blinding sunlight. Brendan and May came after and looked about the area in awe.

"Hey, this place looks nice! We should come to the beach sometime!" May spoke up, pleased with the area.

"It really does look nice… I've never been to this area before…" Brendan said, amazed.

"Well, you'll be seeing many more places that you've never seen before, so get used to it." Wally called out and made way for the tall grass.

"Uh, you know what you're doing?" Brendan spoke nervously.

"Of course I do! How hard can it be, really, to kick a Pokemon's ass and throw a ball at it?" Wally pushed aside the grass and glanced through. Finding nothing, he dug deeper into the underbrush in search of a wild Pokemon.

"You really have no idea what you're doing…" Brendan sighed. May giggled beside him as she watched Wally get swamped by the grass.

"Be quiet… Ah!" Wally cried out and fell back, landing flat on his back in surprised at the Pokemon that hopped out in front of him.

"You okay?" May yelled, pushing her way through the grass and helping Wally up. May looked up at the Pokemon and gasped.

"What? What is it?" Brendan said. He stopped at where May and Wally were crouched at and stood there, stunned. "Holy crap!"

In front of the three trainers was a single Pokemon that only came up to your thigh. It had a large, cap-like head with short arms. The Pokemon had a blue exterior that gleamed as peacefully as the ocean, and the color seemed to flow and move like the tides.

"Hey, isn't that a Ralts?" Wally asked Brendan, looking up at him. Brendan stood there frozen, his mouth gaping over and a dumbfounded expression in his face. May seemed just as equally shocked as she crouched there with her hand gripping Wally's arm painfully and keeping her eyes intently on the Ralts.

"I-it's a Shiny Ralts!" Brendan finally cried out, his voice soaked in astonishment.

Wally looked puzzled. "What's that?"

"It's…similar to an albino human, except for humans; the Pokemon are just different colored. They're also extremely rare anywhere in the world." May whispered quietly into Wally's ear.

Without any hesitation, Brendan pulled out his own Pokeball. "I'm gonna catch that thing! At least I'll have something to really brag about."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Wally stopped Brendan by grabbed onto his arm. "I said I was going to catch the first Pokemon I see, and that happens to be that thing. It's mine."

"Hey, I claimed it first!" Brendan shouted back.

"What're you talking about!? I practically claimed it ten minutes ago!" Wally argued.

"Stop it! Guys!" May separated the two arguing guys by pushing her arms between them and shoving them apart. May rubbed her forehead with her gloved hands and sighed. Looking up, she glanced between the two glaring faces and finally said, "Look, Brendan, Wally doesn't have a Pokemon yet, and Norman did tell Wally to catch the first Pokemon he sees. Really, it's only fair and you'll have another chance, Brendan!"

Brendan glanced eagerly at the blue Ralts, then looked perturbed. Throwing up his hands, Brendan let out a deep sigh. "Fine! Enjoy your damned Ralts!"

"Heh." Wally murmured. Detaching the Pokeball from his belt, Wally threw it into the air. With a blinding flash of light, the Pokeball opened up and out flew a Zigzagoon that lazily clawed at the ground. "Zigzagoon, tackle that thing!"

The Zigzagoon glanced sleepily at Wally, barked, and immediately rushed in and delivered a full-powered tackle against the Ralts. The Ralts was flung back and landed headfirst into the ground. It was planted into the ground, its head acting as support.

"Eh… Do you think I got it…?" Wally muttered tiredly.

"You haven't caught it yet…" May laughed. Wally looked from May, then back at the Ralts. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled a Pokeball out, pressing onto the switch on the front to allow the ball to grow to its normal size.

"You're mine!" Wally cried out and threw the ball. The red and white Pokeball whirled through the air before it came in contact the Ralts. Glowing red, the Ralts turned into a red bolt of pure energy that was absorbed by the ball. Flashing for a few seconds, the Pokeball grew serene, and Wally came over to claim his prize.

Wally's eyes were bright with happiness, and he was giddy to the point where he couldn't help himself. He caught his first Pokemon.

His adventure had officially started.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: When One Bonds With Others**_

Norman was just as surprised as the other two trainers once Wally released his newly-captured Ralts out into the open. The stunned expression on Norman's face was just as alike as Brendan and May's. Funny, eh? But, really, Wally didn't see what the big idea was. Ah, well. Soon afterwards, he received the much-needed Pokedex and a few Pokeballs to start the journey off right. Now he was ready to face whatever the world had in stored with me. Of course, Wally knew it would be easier said than done but it would be difficult to retain himself.

As the sliding glass doors of the gym opened up and left me out to the bright, shining world, Wally looked up at the sun and began to wonder. How long was this journey going to take me? How long will I be gone? At the current moment, his mind was focused entirely on the exciting journey and where it might take him, but Wally knew that he might eventually become homesick. Smiling to himself, Wally made his way back to his home near the path. Wally took out the key from his pocket and unlocked the door, then came in. Taking off his dirt-caked shoes, he made his way into the backyard where his mother was busy tending to the green plants and the colorful flowers.

"Hey, Mom!" Wally called out, and his mother immediately turned her head. Smiling, Wally's mother wiped her hands across her apron and placed down the watering can.

"Wally! You're back already? Gosh, you sure go by quickly!" She said cheerfully, smiling at Wally all the while.

"Ah, I'm just here to say my goodbyes. I already have my Pokemon and everything else I need, so I should be off." Wally said, sitting down on the bench where his mother soon joined him.

"Oh? Could I _please _see it? Maybe I could take a picture to treasure the memory…"

Of course, Wally agreed and allowed her to do whatever she wants to the silent Ralts. His mother was just as oblivious as Wally, not at all realizing the worth of such a rare Pokemon as a Shiny Ralts. Wally's mother, after she was done cooing over the Ralts, invited Wally in to have lunch. Wally, as eager as ever, devoured his food and stood up to leave.

"Oh! But couldn't you just stay for one more night? This will be the last time we'll be seeing you, after all…" His mother pleaded.

Wally walked over to where his mother was standing and, once again, wrapped his arms around his mother's thin body. "I promise you, I'll visit every once in a while, okay? I'm sure there'll be a way, but I'll come back. I promise you."

His mother sobbed. "My little boy… He's growing up to be such a kind gentlemen! I hope you have a nice time during your journey, honey. I just want you to have fun, that's all."

Wally smiled down at her and began to leave. At the door, Wally froze and looked back at his mother, who was standing idly near the dining table. "Uh, does Dad know anything about this yet…?"

She smiled kindly at Wally. "No. He assumed you were just out exploring and left to go fishing in the woods. He won't know about you leaving on the quest for a while."

"That's great!" Wally waved as he opened the door. "See ya, Mom!"

"Goodbye, Wally!" Wally's mother yelled as Wally was halfway down the path west. She stood there watching until her boy was far out of sight already. "You… You could've said your goodbyes…"

The father stood leaning behind the wall of the kitchen. "No… He doesn't need my goodbyes. He's a grown kid now, so he doesn't need a few words from his old man." He sighed deeply. "I remember the days I used to poke fun of him for being so skinny and weak… Boy, was I wrong…"

The mother came over and put an arm around his shoulder. "He's a good boy. He could always take care of himself, no matter what. What difference is there now?"

Wally's father smiled. "Yeah. I just wish he could've known how proud I was of him…"

Wally was in the same area where he caught his Ralts again. The view stayed spectacular, as nothing has changed, and Wally continued down the stone path. Down the road, he noticed the two trainers, Brendan and May, walking towards him from a distance away. When they finally encountered each other, Brendan was the first to speak.

"Hey, Wally! Y'know, since we have our Pokemon and all, how about we have a little battle? First time ever for all three of us, eh?"

"Ehh…? Wha…?" Wally hesitated. This truly was the first time Wally had had a battle, and he definitely had no idea how to have one. In other words, he was brain-dead to the whole new experience.

"Don't worry! We're all new at this, so we'll all have some trouble!" May spoke up when she noticed Wally wavering to the offer. "Besides, if we battle, I'm sure we'll gain some experience on how to battle, right?" May glanced between out faces, searching for some sign of answer.

Wally shrugged. "Ah, might as well. I've got nothing to lose."

"…Except your money…" Brendan muttered.

May smacked the back of Brendan's head, resulting in a cry from him, then scolded him, "We're _all _new at this! This wouldn't be fair for anybody!"

"Jeez, jeez, sorry, okay?" Brendan moaned.

Wally grinned. "Let the battling begin!"

It was Wally's single Ralts against both of the other two trainer's Pokemon. Of course, this was really a free-for-all, but all three trainers were still at a disadvantage. Wally had his blue Ralts out while May had a Shinx and Brendan had a Aron.

"Hah! Try to hurt mine!" Brendan declared loudly for all to hear. May sighed and rubbed her forehead as Wally continued to stare blankly ahead.

"Shinx! Thundershock!" May yelled. The Shinx dashed in front of the frozen Aron and shot out thin sparks of electricity from its mane. The Aron absorbed the shock, barely feeling the attack at all.

"Tackle that sucker, Aron!" Brendan yelled, and the Aron responded by dashing into the Shinx, knocking it over.

Wally stood there on his far corner, staring blankly as the two other Pokemon duke it out on the battlefield. He glanced unsurely at the Ralts that stood like a statue in front of him; it might be sleeping for all Wally knew. "Umm… What can this thing do…?" Wally scratched his head doubtfully.

"You could try to do something, you little twerp!" Brendan called out as his Aron was throw back from an electrifying tackle.

"Oh… Um… Confusion-" Wally had no time to finish his sentence as the immovable Ralts unleashed a wave of devastating mental energy. The purplish wave washed over the entire battlefield, throwing both Aron and Shinx backwards. The Aron was thrown far to the side and smashed into the tree, implanting a deep dent into the solid wood tree. Shinx was thrown overboard as it flew into the middle of the forest of trees somewhere. May and Brendan were dumbstruck as they glanced from wherever their Pokemon had landed to Ralts and then towards Wally's equally surprised face.

"What the Hell was that!?" May screamed, then turned her back on Wally and Brendan and ran into the woods to where her Shinx had landed.

"I _knew _I should've caught that thing!" Brendan hissed angrily as he tended for his Aron, who lay injured on its back.

Wally blinked and stared at his Ralts, who silently stared back. "You did that…? What the Hell are you…?" The Ralts kept its stone-hard face still as it continued to stare back at its trainer.

The two trainers, May and Brendan, of course, immediately rushed to the Pokemon Center after the fierce encounter with the killer Ralts, and afterwards, they both bid their farewells to Wally and got a head-start on starting their journey. Wally rested at the Pokemon Center, wondering where to take his journey next. The ordinary trainer would always head towards Rustboro City first, so that's where Wally intended to go to.

It was soon nighttime, the woods sparkling with light as the stars flitted through the treetops. The tiny leaves rustled in the cooling breeze, making a comforting sound that could put anybody to sleep. Though the darkness made everything look dark and gloomy, the moon that shone above and let its light fall onto a small brook of sweet, cold water made it all look more beautiful than it seems. The Pokemon were all asleep, except for a few nocturnal Pokemon, whose eyes glowed through the darkness and always seemed to be staring at you all the while.

Wally trudged through the darkness, swinging his arms about to make sure that he doesn't trip or run into anything. The darkness seemed to be gripping Wally as he went deeper and deeper into the woods as his only source of light seemed to be disappearing quickly. Wally was about halfway through the woods, and it was definitely past midnight. Wally yawned deeply and loudly. That was quite a day. He finally decided to set up camp there, near a thin shallow streak that flowed directly through the forest. Within minutes, the tent was up and the pot of food was slowly cooking on the portable stove. Wally yawned again and lay onto his back, relaxing and enjoying the cool night.

"I'm sure Ralts might want to come out…" Wally murmured to himself with his eyes closed. Reaching into his pocket, Wally pulled out the Pokeball and pressed the switch in the middle. A great burst of white light fired out from the open Pokeball and slowly began to form into the familiar figure of Ralts.

"Hey, there, Ralts. You tired of being cooped up in the Pokeball?" Wally asked casually. Perhaps he could somehow get to know this silent creature…somehow… Instead, the Ralts just blankly stared at his trainer as before.

"Can you do something else besides stare at me…?" Wally asked with a smile. When Ralts continued to stare into empty space, Wally reached out with his hand in an attempt to pet the little creature. With one swift movement, the Ralts tilted its head forward and fired a burst of energy, knocking the pot over and flinging Wally back into the nearest tree.

"Gaah!" Wally cried out as the wind was knocked out of his body. The tree shook and fluttering could be heard, but Wally took no notice as his head was spinning from the impact. Something then suddenly fell onto his lap, and Wally opened his eyes to see what it was. In his hands, a large Zubat sat there with its fangs gleaming menacingly in the moonlight, hissing angrily at him. He cried out and threw the Zubat into the air while scrambling back towards his tent. Within seconds, furious screeching shattered through the silence of the woods and the entire sky was clouded with black dots. The cloud of Zubats swooped low and surrounded Wally and Ralts. Ralts fired wave after wave of shockwaves, many of them coming in contact with Wally. However, though many Zubats fell to the ground, many more took their places and continued to dive in for the attack. Wally threw his arms over his head, but the Zubats took this an opportunity to dig their fangs deeply into the flesh of Wally's arms.

_We're in trouble, _Wally thought, disheartened. If they stayed here any longer, then they'll be one large feast for these swarms of Zubats. They had to get out of there quickly. The cloud of Zubats continued to encircle the two, the sounds of flapping wings and screeches sounded like a chorus of devils reaching up to the world. Wally opened his eyes a slit, fearful of the Zubats swooping low to claw out his eyes, and saw his poor little blue Ralts, its external body glimmering in the starlight. Its body was ruined with scars, blood seeping through the many slashes all over its body. Its breathing was heavy, and tiny purple sparks lit around its large head, signifying that the Ralts was out of energy. Its entire left arm was stripped of most of its flesh, giant craters of red decorating the rest of its scarred, white arm. If Wally didn't get the Hell out of this forest, neither of them will. Wally averted his eyes skyward to see the moon blocked out as a Zubat, with its single mouth wide open with a shriek, shot down towards the Ralts.

"No! Ralts!" Wally screamed over the loud sounds of the forest. Wally dashed forward, his arm pumping at his side and no longer shielding his face. He leaned forward to dodge an incoming flush of Zubats and snatched up a thick tree branch.

"Raaagh!" Wally snarled and swung the branch. He felt the heavy thud as the branch smashed against the Zubat, and it was thrown it back into the forest from where it came from.

"Who wants some more!?" Wally screamed as the Zubat halted its onslaught and merely hovered in place. Continuing their screeched, the Zubats resumed attacking. Wally calmed himself down and looked about in the darkness. As the Zubats came closer, Wally swung the branch with little effort and smacked them back. However, despite the many that Wally knocked out, there were still too many, and the Zubats were just getting angrier and angrier. A loud sonicwave racked the air around Wally, and he threw his hands to his ears, screaming, as the sound seemed to shatter his eardrums. Out from the darkness, giant war-torn Golbats with menacing red eyes flew out, its drastically large fangs glistening in the light. The Zubats retreated behind the leader Golbats as the Golbats fixed their gleaming eyesight on the persistent human and the injured Pokemon that dared oppose the Zubats. Crouching over, they shot up high into the air, then began to dive-bomb Wally and his Ralts from above.

"Ahhhhhh, shit!" Wally screamed. He whirled around and snatched up his Ralts, who cried out in pain from the contact against its wounds. Out of pain and anger, the Ralts pitifully sent waves of psychic energy through Wally's chest. Wally's body trembled and buckled, but Wally took no notice of it as he dashed as quickly as he could through the woods. The trees were invisible from the naked eye, but they came into view as Wally came closer. He made sure to dodge them and continued to glance back to see if the Zubats and Golbats were still in pursuit. They were. It was like being run down by the black plague, that's what it seemed like. The multitude of flying bodies swerved through the trees with ease unlike Wally. They kept coming, never faltering for even a moment. Wally's lungs were close to bursting, his head feverish. But if he stopped now, death would await him. The Ralts stopped attacking Wally and was breathing as slowly as it could. As slowly as it could. If anything, its breathing was growing shallower.

"Damn!" Wally screamed, letting much of his precious breath escape his lungs. The exit out of the forest was glowing within sight. The lights of the city out ahead of Wally could be seen from where Wally was as if they were stars. The sounds of the bustling city grew louder and louder by the second, but Wally's breath was the loudest of all and so was his throbbing head.

"Haaaaaaaaa!" Wally cried out and jumped onto a boulder, launching himself forward and out of the forest. Wally looked back and was dismayed. The Zubats and Golbats were certainly persistent. Out in the open, they screamed as they were sure that victory was theirs. Every single one of those bats flew high up into the air and came diving down…towards Wally and Ralts.

"No!" Wally screamed once he stopped in place, his legs unwilling to move any farther. Suddenly, a loud gunshot blasted through the air, and a small explosion could be seen in the sky. A single Zubat, its bottom-torso blown off, fell to the earth, and the rest of the bats in the night sky scattered and returned to whence they came from. Wally's eyes blurred heavily as he tried to examine who had saved him but immediately dropped onto his back, unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: When Worse Comes to Worse**_

"_No!" Wally screamed. The darkness around him was closing onto him, as it was a room where the walls grew smaller and smaller. The darkness had a terrifying pressure on Wally, almost suffocating him. But Wally kept screaming over and over again to no end, regardless of how painful the effort was. With fear reflecting in his eyes, Wally took off running, his heart pounding and his breath ragged. His hair dropped over his eyes, shielding his vision. Wally brushed it out of his face and was immediately welcomed by the sudden burst of light that blinded his view. Wally rubbed his eyes, clearing out the pain, and looked back up to the source of the bright light. It was the sun. The glare of the blazing white sun had infinite luminosity, never letting down for a moment to let the light back again. A loud roar echoed in the background, and Wally threw his vision about the area he was in. The waves of the ocean rumbled about, crashing into the shore where the giant boulders lay. The blue ocean sparkled and glimmered like a mirror as the sunlight came in contact with the ocean. The sands of the beach were golden, the tiny grains seeping through the toes of Wally's bare feet._

"_W-where am I!?" Wally screamed, his mind rambling, his heart pumping. His hands shook, and his eyes went wild. Wally was in a different world, and the darkness gripping him was leading him down the path of insanity. There was no way back. There was no way to restore Wally's broken mind._

_Something suddenly flashed before Wally's eyes. Then again, like some ghostly specter that was waiting to take Wally's life. Wally stepped back, the crazed fear apparent in his eyes. Wally looked up at the sunlight, blinding him, then looked back down at the sand before him while spots of color flashed in his eyes. There, standing before him, was a young girl about his age with long brown hair, her thick bangs parting over her eyes, creating a wreath around her young, fresh face. Her green eyes shone brilliantly, a small, kind smile creasing her lips. She wore a tight, sky-blue nightgown, the fabric stretching down to her mid-thighs. Her hand lifted up from her side and welcomed Wally towards her, her palm facing up and her fingers fluttering like delicate strings._

"_Gah! Chelsie!" Wally screamed, his voice cracking. Wally made a dash at the young girl and made a grab for her, but she was no long standing in the same place. Wally grabbed nothing but air and fell over into the warm, yellow sand. He struggled for a moment, then jumped back onto his feet and glanced about crazily, his eyes glazed with white from his destroyed conscience. There, high on the cliff's edge that overlooked the beautiful sea, was the girl, standing solemnly with her calm eyes looking over at the horizon, her hair streaming from the sea breeze behind her. Suddenly, a crash echoed through the waves and a giant tentacle, spikes protruding from its side, stabbed out from the water and shot towards the girl. Wally stood there, unable to do anything, and stared after the tentacle, his eyes quivering with anxiety. The tentacle snapped forward and wrapped around the girl's thin waist and pulled her down, the girl not making a sound._

"_Chelsie!!!" Wally screamed, grabbing at his head. Wally threw his hands down and stared at them, blood splattered through his fingers. It was as if he was the one who committed the murder._

"Wake…up…" Wally's head felt light, yet heavy at the same time. Everything ceased to exist. There was only one thing in Wally's life now: darkness and rest.

"Wake up!" The voice echoed again, and Wally felt his mind reach farther and farther up into reality, into the actual world. His head continued to stab with pain, but it continued to try to grasp consciousness.

"Wake the fuck up!" The voice bellowed, and Wally felt something smash into his ribs. Wally's head jolted upwards, his hands immediately shot out to grasp his injured stomach. He wheezed and glanced about, searching for the danger. There, standing before Wally with an impatient look on his wrinkled face, was an old man, probably in his fifties, with a long, loose white beard with an equally thick moustache. His entirely bald head gleamed against the morning sunlight, and the man's eyes sparked with impatience. He was tall and masculine, and he stood there with his hands on his hips and one hand grasping a thick, wooden club. Wally continued to look about, dazed. In the far corner, there was an elderly and humble Wingull, scars crossing over its wings and its feathers a little ruffled. Standing near Wally's bedside was his blue Ralts, its arm wrapped up in bandages and its arm touching its mouth, staring intently and unwaveringly at Wally.

"Who the Hell are you?" Wally made an attempt to yell, but the pain running about in his body forced him not to overexert himself.

"What? So tat's how yer gonna to speak to me after all I've done!? Why, I'm a-going to teach you some manners!" The man snarled, raising the club again. Ralts immediately turned its head on the old man; crackles of purple energy shot from its mind. Even the Wingull in the corner objected with a low squawk.

The old man glanced from the Wingull, to Ralts, and then back at Wally again. Sighing deeply and letting his extremely broad shoulders slump, the man plopped down on the nearest wooden stool and pulled closer to where Wally laid. Wally retreated to the edge of his bed and stared fearfully at the club that the old man wielded.

"Oh, this? Ah, no need ta' worry, me boy. I won't hurt you…anymore." The man laughed out loud and slapped Wally a little bit too hard on his shoulder, a multitude of numbing pain shooting through Wally's bones. "Today's a-been a bad day for me ol' self. Mah boat's turned out dead and my littl' ol' Peeko there's been in a bit of toubl' much of late."

Right when the man dropped the club, Wally relaxed all the muscles in his muscle and felt his heart slow down in its beating. He plopped back down onto his bed and rubbed his forehead. He began going over what happened the night before and how he got all the way into this strange old man's place. The images of the horrifying event that occurred last night flashed quickly through Wally's mind like a terrible dream that he just woke up from. The ring from the shotgun blast still echoed through Wally's mind, reminding him that that person saved him from the hordes of Zubats. Wally warily glanced at his little Ralts, who still had its eyes locked on the old man that sat to the side, and noticed the bands of cloth wrapped around multiple parts of its body.

_You went through a lot, there… _Echoed the thoughts in Wally's mind. Without realizing it, Wally reached out shakingly with his injured arm and stroked the thick hair on Ralt's head. This time, it didn't resist. Wally smiled weakly and let his arm fall back down.

"Ya ha' a major rundown, there, last night." The old man spoke through the silence, biting down on the toothpick balanced on his bottom lip.

"You… You were the one who saved me?" Wally asked, amazed. This shaky old man was the one who risked his life against a giant cloud of Zubats just to save one careless teenager. It was the most paradoxical thing Wally had ever heard in his life, ever.

"Damn straight, I did, boy!" The man harrumphed and laughed loudly, giving another stinging slap against Wally's shoulder. The old man went into the back of the room for a minute before coming back out again, bundles of luggage in his arms. "Here be yo' stuff, boy! Had to went back into the damned forest to be finding these things."

"Ah… I'm sorry you had to do that just for me." Wally murmured guiltily.

"Aw, it weren't a problem. Yo' little Raltsy here pointed the way out fo' me! Not a problem, not a problem at all!" Wally accepted his things with a meek "Thank you". He browsed through his pack, making sure everything was in place, before plopping back down on the clean mattress. Wally folded his hands against his chest, his eyes locked on the blank ceiling above him. His Ralts was sitting to his side, its head down low and snoring softly to itself. The old man was leaning over the side of the window with a cigar clenched between his teeth, his eyes looking out over the ocean that roared in the morning.

I struggled to sit back up. "I…should get going." Wally spoke quietly.

The man apparently heard Wally and turned around from the ocean with a smug expression on his face. "Ah, you wan't be going nowhere, boy! The venom them Zubats injec'd into you are flowing and will be flowin' faster if yer movin' about! You need a night's rest if you want the medicine I injec'd into you to be kickin' in before the death poison, eh?" The old man coughed loudly, loud enough to wake up the Ralts who was resting peacefully. "Besides, mah boat's broked. I need a day for the pieces to fit in, eh?"

Wally groaned and slumped back down onto the mattress, his hands pressed against his forehead. What a way to start out a grand adventure. Everything was horrible from the start, and nothing seems to be getting any better.

The man peered over at Wally. "Wha'cha doin' in the woods in the first place? You starting out as a Pokemons trainer or whatnot?"

Wally sighed deeply. "It's credit. Going on an adventure gets me credit for college."

"Ah! Education's important, boy! Withnot it, you'd be dead in life!" The old man suddenly burst out laughing at a horrifying rate, his hands holding onto his stomach. "Well, you won't be gettin' far at this rate. I'll tell you wut: Once you be rid of the toxin and my boat's a-fixed, I'll give you a hefty ride all the way to Slateport! You need it, and I need to be makin' a delivery, see?"

Wally was horrified. "Slateport!? What about Rustboro!? I need to get my first badge before going on!"

The man snorted. "Badge? I know about this little credit yer goin' on, and you dun need to do much. All you need ter done is grab as many of those little feisty critters as you can and nothing else. Those sparkly badges are only for the league."

"Ah…" Wally let the single sound escape his lips. Was this going by Wally's favor or against it? It doesn't really seem like either.

"You okay with this, boy…?" The man murmured quietly, his eyes directed out the window.

"Yeah… Thanks, anyway…" Wally said tiredly, the throbbing in his head returning. "Ah… My name's Wally, by the way."

"The name's Briney!" The man spoke loudly, throwing his head back in a fit of roaring laughter. Wally grinned timidly. "And I'm glad tah be a hand of assistance!"

Nightfall came quickly as Wally slept for the entire morning, waking up only once to have a taste of Mr. Briney's beef stew, which didn't taste bad, really. The area before the forest looked just like last night, except with a dimmer lighting on the area. The ocean continued to sparkle with obvious delight with the moonlight, the waves calming down for the night to get some rest. Mr. Briney led Wally out to his boat, gripping onto Wally's back for support. He told Wally to move slowly so he won't hurt himself or, just in case, allow any leftover toxin to circulate through Wally's body too quickly. Wally's brow was heated, his vision distorted from his fever and from the burning-hot tears that dampened his eyes. Once Wally reached the boat, Mr. Briney allowed Wally to flop down onto the nearest couch, and the boy immediately fell asleep. Even in his dreams, Wally could feel the boat start up with a low hum and shoot over the tides. The boat cut through the ocean at an amazing yet soothing speed. Wally's head leaned over to the side, his face calm, and his Ralts, who wasn't in the Pokeball at the time, crouched down in the corner and slept. Every once in a while, during the nightly voyage across the dark sea, Mr. Briney glanced back to check up on the trainer and his Pokemon. Smiling cheerfully to himself at the two sleeping partners, Mr. Briney continued to sail across the sea with newfound confidence and motivation.

The boat hummed quietly as it bounced its way through the flowing waves that splashed about the sides of the boat. Mr. Briney hummed to himself, glancing back to check on the trainer, trying to keep himself awake. The flowing waves were all but an illusion to him, a dream that he was quietly drifting through with no destination at the end. His vision blurred, the blue color that splashed again the black sky fused together to form a dark abyss. At last, Mr. Briney's eyes shut, and his head slumped down.

_Crash!_

Wally and his Ralts awoke with a start. Wally's eyes snapped open, and he glanced around fearfully, searching for the signs of danger. "What the Hell happened!?" Wally cried out, his eyes not yet adjusting to the darkness. His Ralts slowly got back onto its feet, rubbing its head with its slim arms.

"Oh…no!" Mr. Briney cried out loudly, his voice echoing into the night sky. He lifted his head off from the steering wheel and glanced over the side of the boat.

"What's wrong?" Wally called out as he made his way to where Mr. Briney was standing. The green-haired boy gasped as his eyes traveled over the edge of the large, bobbling boat and met the grey object at the bottom of the boat.

The boat was stuck.

The boat was jammed between two thick spikes of grey stone that jutted out into the air likes knives that stabbed through the water, the edges sharp and jagged. The two stones closed in on the boat, trapping it in the middle like the way a predator might trap prey in between its paws. The front of the boat was dented, the clear stainless steel bashed inwards. The back of the boat dipped backwards into the water as the front pointed its nose high up into the air.

They were trapped.

There was no other way out.

"What are we going to do!?" Wally stammered, his eyes flickering about and his legs quivering from fright. The boat was truly jammed into the middle, and not even Ralt's Confusion could kick the boat out of place. The water flowed gently in and around the boat as Wally and Mr. Briney slumped over on the side.

"We be in a load of trub'le, now…" The old man muttered, his eyes blinking off sleep. His face had gone paler within the last few hours, and the sun was already rising up in the distance, casting its light over the glimmering exterior of the damaged boat.

Wally slumped over, his eyes closed and his hands wrapped around his own neck. The Ralts leaned against Wally, its body relaxed and resting, even at a time like this. How could things have gotten bad so quickly? How could Wally's first adventure turn into a hellish nightmare within…hours, really? Wally glanced over at the old man, finding deep, black bags of skin drooping down from his elderly, kind eyes. His body was bent in such a position that made him seem like he had all of his life drained from him, leaving behind only a carcass that held nothing. From the view of the old man, who knew more about danger and getting out of situation like this using his own knowledge that anybody else in the region, Wally felt his hope and optimism deplete at a sudden and quick rate.

A rumble abruptly shuddered through the entire boat, rattling the cool metal of the exterior. Wally lifted his head up and looked around while Mr. Briney unconsciously stood back up onto his feet and looked over the side of the boat again, his eyes fluttering.

The man froze in place, his hand gripping the railing of the boat furiously. "Oh…God…no…" He whispered.

"What happened now!?" Wally yelled and at once got to his feet, knocking the Ralts over. Another rumble shook the boat, and Wally fell over, crying out from the pain that rippled through his body. Rolling back onto his feet and immediately grabbing hold of the metal railings, Wally pulled himself up and looked over the edge. There, dashing through the water with only the slightest of movement, was a school of large, ferocious Sharpedos, whose jaws gaped open with rows of jagged teeth that allowed for ripping chunk after chunk of flesh from any creatures' body. They swam about in circles around the boat, the bladed fin on their backs skimming through the very surface of the water. Every once in a while, a single Sharpedo emerged from the water and charged head-first into the boat, bashing a large, head-sized dent into the metal. Afterwards, they would simply sink back into the crowds of Sharpedos that swam about the boat, waiting for another chance to strike unnoticed.

"We be awaiting death now if we dun do anything about those blasted buggers!" Mr. Briney cried out, throwing his arms over his head. Wally bit down onto his thumbnail and glanced down at the Sharpeods nervously, as if one of them would suddenly lunge out to take a bite out of Wally's face.

"T-They can't do anything to us, right? We're all the way up here in the boat…" Wally whispered, trying to comfort himself to no avail.

"Boy, don't be talkin' nonsense!" The old man cried out, his eyes squeezed shut. "Look at all those gaps them sharks and smashing and bumping into out boat! Within a few hours, there'll be a big ol' hole enough for this boat to sink like a fire-Pokemon swimming in water. And you know what's next? Yar know that we be dinner for those damned Sharpeods!?" He swung his arms about, and Wally made an effort to avoid getting bashed.

Mr. Briney smashed both of his fists into the railing, causing the entire boat to shudder and creak, and cried out in a fit of rage. "We're dead now, boy. We're all dead…"

"…Shut up!"

Mr. Briney looked up Wally's face in surprise. Wally stood there, a glowing look of determination passing through his eyes, with his fists clenched and his feet firmly placed. "We're not dead until this boat sinks. And it's still standing." Wally hissed venomously.

"Yar, but see where we-"

"Be quiet already! We've still got hope. We can still make it out alive." Wally let his arms drop down to his sides, and a bright smile immediately crossed Wally's face. "But…what's our situation? Is it possible for the boat to run?"

Sighing, Mr. Briney spoke up, "The hull…the entire boat…is damaged from our littl' run-in with them boulders, see? Them sharks and only bashin' it in farther, but the engine should be workin' fine. Now, the issue wit' getting' the ship out from them giant-like rocks…"

Wally headed up to the very point of the boat where it slanted upwards and checked on the tip. The boat was firmly lodged through between the two pillars that jutted up into two different directions. Because of how the boat is now bent, it will be impossible to shove the boat through, but…

"I think it's possible to pull the boat back out."

Mr. Briney now had a look of pure quizzicality on his face. "Are ye mad, boy? How're we gonna do that? I mean, I take yer word fo' it, but it be impossible! Them baddies will be bitin' our arms off!"

Wally flashed him a wide grin. "You've got your Wingull."

This was way too dangerous.

Yet it could work out rather smoothly.

The Wingull, Peeko, was tied to a single knot of rope and attached to the very back of the boat. Mr. Briney started up to boat, giving Wally the signal to start the operation they're about to pull off. The Sharpedos recognized this as an attempt to escape and decided to smash against the boat more violently and frequently than ever before. They had to work quickly, or there'll be nothing left to escape on. The boat started up with a quick shudder, then began sputtering normally. The man slammed the boat into reverse and forced the boat to try to crawl its way off of the rock and back into the water, the ramming of the Sharpedos helping the boat try to slip right back out. Wally looked over at Briney, then averted his attention back to the shabby little Wingull with a rope around its leg. Wally gave it a hard shove, and with a quiet _Caw!_, the bird took off into the sky, then halted as the rope tried to resist.

"Keep trying!" Wally screamed up at the bird, and it understood every word perfectly. With a low growl echoing from beneath its breast, the bird strained, pulling its leg about as it continued to drag at the boat behind it. The Sharpedos halted their assault and stared up hungrily at the fresh, clean bird that floated just above their noses.

The boat creaked and groaned, the metal of the ship severely scratched up from contact against the stone spikes. The ship rolled about, trying to twist its way out from between the gaps. The bird, though just a Wingull, was very large and had physical strength to impress any trainer. However, it was quickly getting tired, tiny gasps of air escaping its large, yellow beak. Wally ran over to where the rope was and tied another knot into the rope, just in case it decided to snap at the wrong moment. A large screech rung through the air as the Wingull thrashed about, violently jerking at the boat and causing the entire thing to move.

Suddenly, a giant jolt ripped through the entire boat, and Wally was flung over to the front of the boat, his body sliding across of the planks. The front of the boat toppled into the water with a loud splash, water spraying all over the two people on board. The boat was pulled out from between the rocks and lay, now, in the water. It was battered up in so many places, it no longer resembled a ship, but it was enough to get home.

"Hurrah! You' idea worked, boy! Now let's get the Hell out of here so I'll never hav' to see them ugly mugs again!" Mr. Briney cheered and grabbed hold of the steering wheel. With no notice at all, the Sharpedos went berserk. With demonic howls and roars, the Sharpedos, each and every single one of them, dashed through the water and then smashed their pointed, sharp, and armored noses into the boat, causing the metal sheeting to crinkle instantly. Again and again, they retreated back into the water and shot into the distance before soaring back to bombard the boat with a smashing onslaught.

"What are they doing!?" Wally screamed at the top of his voice, over the cries of the sharks and over the sound of the water splashing about the deck.

"The be getting' mighty aggressive! They mustn't have eatin' for days to be this desperate!" Mr. Briney cried back, struggling to take control of the wheel.

"No…" Wally whispered, leaning his hand onto one side of the boat and grabbing his forehead with the other. "No… I don't…want to…die yet…"

The boat shook violently and rocked back and forth, threatening to topple over into the pool of death. Through all of the mayhem and destruction, Mr. Briney looked over at the young, spirit-hearted boy who had great ambitions and hopes. Mr. Briney ceased to hear or see anything else as he kept his sad eyes locked on the green-haired boy frozen in place. A tear ran down one of the old man's cheek.

"I used to be like you, son…" Mr. Briney whispered, then snapped out a small pocketknife.

"W-What are you doing!?" Wally cried out in fear as he noticed the man pull out his blade.

"I'm savin' your ass, boy!" The man cried out loudly as he rushed forward to the back of the boat. "You should know how to drive the boat! Step on the pedal and steer! Simple as that! I be hopin' you know how to do just that!" Mr. Briney smiled sadly at Wally through his bushy beard.

"What are you talking about!?" Wally screamed, grabbing onto Mr. Briney's arm and attempted to pull him back. But the man just roughly pulled his arm away from Wally's grip.

Mr. Briney cut through the rope and jumped off of the boat, with Wally screaming behind him. While in midair, the man grabbed hold of the loose rope hanging in the air, then whistled shrilly. Peeko's ears twitched as it heard the whistle, and then it flapped its wings as hard as it could to drag Mr. Briney swiftly through the rough tides, his body bouncing with every impact against the water.

"No…" Wally leaned over the edge of the boat and stared at the old man in the distance. The Sharpedos, their bloodlust greater than anything else, immediately noticed the fresh bait laid out for them and shot forward in pursuit of the old man. Wally fell backwards and glanced back at the steering wheel. This is his only chance. Wally made a dash for the wheel and found his exhausted blue Ralts sitting there in the seat.

"Don't worry, Ralts. We'll be home soon." Wally choked out the words, trying hard not to think of the old man who had treated him like a grandson. Wally slammed his foot on the pedal and immediately shot forward, the boat jerking from the start and shot forward through the water. The boat seemed to hover over the water as it bounced and crashed it way through, the loose, broken metal clanking about.

Wally glanced back once into the distant horizon, his eyes searching over the water. There was no sign of the Wingull with a rope on its leg or a rash old man flying across the water. There was nothing. No sign of anything.

"D-Dammit…" Wally sobbed and laid his head against the wheel as the boat shot on.

It was only a few hours later before the sign of land was out in the distance where the crowds of people could easily be seen from the distance Wally was at. Wally looked up from the wheel and cried out happily.

"We're almost there, Ralts!" Wally smiled, then looked back at his Ralts who was sitting on the passenger seat. The little blue head was leaned against its chest, its thin white arms hanging at its side. It was finally resting after a full day of terror. Rest. Wally looked back at the land, seeing it grow larger and large by the moment. It wasn't too far now... Wally folded his arms and buried his head into the center, closing his eyes.

Rest.

That's all he needed right now.


End file.
